


Taking a Break

by Throwaway9899



Category: Metal Gear, Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Amputation, Angst, Casual Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Flirting, Friends With Benefits, Friendship/Love, Grief/Mourning, Lemon, Major Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Partnership, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Redemption, Relationship(s), Romance, Self-Sacrifice, Smoking, Uneasy Allies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-07 20:35:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8815426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Throwaway9899/pseuds/Throwaway9899
Summary: David Collins, a private security contractor, takes a vacation to London. He meets a young woman named Lena Oxton at a nightclub, who drags David into disrupting a small Talon operation. The pair become fast friends, even engaging in a little physical release, largely due to Lena's bubbly personality and optimism. Lena soon receives a call from one of her former comrades, Genji Shimada. The cyborg requests her assistance in protecting his master, Tekartha Zenyatta, from an assassination attempt, believed to be perpetrated by the same assassin who killed his brother Mondatta, Talon's finest sniper, Widowmaker. Lena manages to persuade David to tag along, claiming that the two are partners, and board her private shuttle to make their way to Hanamura, Japan. Over time, David slowly opens up about his past, particularly his service alongside the charismatic leader of Diamond Dogs, The Boss, who he regards as a father-figure. Ultimately, the revelations made in Japan lead to the discovery of a plot to fuel the continued strife between Human and Omnic, and allegiances aren't as clear-cut as they once were. (Lemons) (Story on Permanent Hiatus)





	1. Chapter 1

David rhythmically shook his body to the pulsing music that filled the nightclub, the vibrant colors of the lights flashed across the interior, and a small layer of fog covered the floor. He downed the shot of vodka he had ordered, placing the glass on a table nearby, before making his way deeper into the club. The tales his friends spun him of the London nightlife were true, he was glad he took the time to set up a proper vacation, it was nice to unwind occasionally. His sandy-blonde hair was tightly styled, sporting a slight sweep to the right with closely shaven sides, the back was much of the same. He sported a navy-blue jacket along with a grey sweater underneath it, it sported a collar that loosely hung around his neck. Faded blue jeans and a pair of tan boots completed his outfit, he wasn’t particularly well dressed, but the outfit suited him, striking a compromise between comfort and style. The bass shook his body as he slipped his gloved hands into his jacket, intent on finding a fresh drink, he quickly spotted a vacant seat he could use, quickly slipping into it, waving down the bartender. The man gave him a signal that he wouldn’t be able to make it over for a few moments, David sighed as he glanced around, examining the clientele. No one stood out from the crowd, everyone had given themselves to the music, something about a famous DJ visiting for a show this week. The couple next to him stood up and were quickly replaced by a woman, who giggled as she hopped onto the stool. “Hey there, handsome.” Her thick cockney accent gently flowed into his ears, it had a strange soothing quality to it, even when practically shouted over the music. David glanced at the woman, she wore orange pants along with a pair of white canvas shoes and a tight black t-shirt, a brown jacket hugging her figure. Her hair was styled loosely to the right, culminating in several spikes, his eyes panned down and stopped at a light blue necklace that she wore, a faint glow could be seen from it, it looked enchanting. Her eyes were a rich hazel, accented by freckles just underneath them, her small nose and lips completed the rest of the picture. “Buy me a drink?” David laughed, he wasn’t used to women being so forthcoming, particularly ones this cute, before nodding as the bartender arrived.

“What’s your poison?” David asked, his blue eyes glancing over at his new companion, a small smirk on his lips. The woman thought for a moment, panning the display of drinks behind the bartender, before speaking up.

“I’ll take an Aviation.” David laughed as he turned back to the bartender, he had never much cared for the taste of gin.

“An Aviation and a White Russian, on me.” David spoke, the bartender quickly made his way back towards the alcohol behind him, plucking several mixers from their places on the shelves. “I’m David, and you are?” His voice held a decisively American accent, though he’d swear to anyone that he didn’t have one.

“Lena.” The woman giggled, she had turned to face David, her legs slightly swinging as they hung from the stool. “What brings you to London, luv?” Luv, he hadn’t heard that term before, it was strangely endearing.

“Just looking for a good time, figured there’s worse places to take a vacation.” David laughed, “Care to be my tour guide?” He flashed another smirk at her, a wide grin covered her face as she laughed, playfully punching his shoulder as her laugh subsided.

“Depends on how much you’re paying.” The pair laughed together, each grabbing their drinks as the bartender placed them on the counter, David slid his card towards him with his free hand. He held up his glass for a toast, clinking against Lena’s as she raised hers, before taking a deep swig of his drink. He shook his head as he swallowed, placing the glass back onto the counter, a large portion was now missing. The bartender returned with his card, which David slipped back into his wallet, looking back up at Lena as he placed it into his pocket.

“Care for a dance?” He chuckled, standing up from the stool as he grabbed his glass again, finishing the remnants of his drink. Lena had finished her drink before him, causing David’s eyes to widen slightly, prompting another giggle from her. She took his hand in hers, pulling him behind her to the dance floor, David’s gaze turned downward as she led him. He stared at her orange pants, her hips shifting slightly with every step, he shook his head as he looked back up at her, she turned back with a smile on her face as they came to a stop.

“See something you like, luv?” Lena giggled, her vibrant personality was intriguing to David, he had always preferred tomboys. He laughed as a small blush tinged his cheeks, beginning to dance with her as the music swelled, the alcohol in his system helped loosen him up. The pair lost themselves to the music, beginning separately, but slowly moving together as time went on. David held her close as they continued, mirroring each other’s movements, their bodies pressing close together as the music drowned out any sort of speech that could be had. The bright lights flashed as they pressed closer together, their heads stopping inches apart as they continued to dance.

“What’s next on this tour, luv?” David mimicked her saying, earning a small giggle as they stared at one another, their bodies still moving in tune with the music. A gunshot rang out through the club, the patrons ran screaming towards the exit, a few men in masks took up positions around the room, each brandishing a rifle. David stared at Lena, motioning for her to run to the exit as he sprinted to the bar, jumping over the counter before crouching down behind it. He reached onto the bar and grabbed a beer bottle, glancing over as another figure leapt over the counter. A shocked expression crossed his face, Lena had followed him, she grinned at him, eager to help. He let out a chuckle, taking a swig of the beer, before peering over the counter. A gunman was slowly examining the counter, attempting to locate the source of the noise, he slowly leaned forward over the counter. David pulled him to the ground, smashing the bottle against his head before slamming his head into the wall, leaving him unconscious against it. He grabbed the rifle from the ground, quickly withdrawing the gunman’s pistol from its holster, handing it off to Lena. “Know how to use this?” She nodded as she flipped the safety off, tightening her grip on the metal grip. “What a first date, huh?” David nervously chuckled as he glanced over the counter, the sound of the music managed to cover the bottle shattering.

“I wouldn’t call this a date, luv.” Lena laughed, crouching as she walked towards the end of the counter, peering around the corner. A small stairway led upstairs to the office, a gunman was positioned outside the door, faint shouts could be heard inside. “Give me some cover while I make my way up there?” She looked back at David, who nodded as he pulled his loose collar over his face, he had sewn a mask onto most of his undershirts, concealing his identity was a handy tool. The gray fabric ended along the bridge of his nose, covering the stubble of his chin. David sighed as he prepared himself, he had hoped to have a peaceful vacation, too much of his life had already been spent shooting at others. He placed the rifle on the counter, preferring to stay as low as possible, before firing a shot into the head of the man at the top of the stairs. The music wouldn’t be able to drown that out, shots soon began to pelt the counter, large amounts of glass were scattered across the floor, Lena took the opportunity to sprint up the stairs, disappearing inside the office. The shots that pelted David’s cover wasn’t coordinated, all the gunmen were simultaneously firing, he’d be able to exploit the reload timings. The shots stopped for a moment, David peered over the counter again, firing into the chest of the furthest gunman, who fell to the floor with a scream, amateurs were easier to deal with than trained soldiers. Shots began to pelt his cover again, he moved further down the bar, he covered his head as shards of glass rained around him, inwardly cursing as he examined the rifle. He pulled out the magazine, there were only two bullets remaining, he’d have to be careful.

“Who the fuck attacks a nightclub without a full clip?” David swore, clicking the magazine back into the rifle. The shots continued to pelt the counter, the two surviving gunmen had begun to space out their shots much better, though the hadn’t properly tracked him as he moved behind his cover. He leaned around the side of the bar, firing two shots into the gunman by the entrance, his bloody body propping open the door as he slumped against it. He fired a shot at the last remaining gunman, cursing as his shot just grazed the shoulder. He discarded the rifle to the ground, grabbing the shattered bottle he used earlier, before the cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his head. “Aw shit.” David muttered as a shot rang out, the barrel of the gun slowly released from his head, he heard the man behind him slump to the ground. He laughed as he stood up, turning to see Lena with the pistol in her hand, a smile on her face. “Guess that pays me back for the drink.”

“You know, a gentleman never makes a lady pay.” She teased, wiping the pistol with her sleeve before dropping it to the ground.

“Well, I guess I’m not a gentleman then.” David laughed, pulling his mask from his face, allowing it to loosely hang around his neck once again. “They’re weren’t very coordinated, probably just a robbery.” His gaze turned to the corpse next to him, he didn’t care for the loss of life in his line of work, though it was inevitable. He wore a hoodie, a shirt had been tied around his face as a makeshift mask, the professional in him disliked the poor choice in combat attire, though he doubted they expected to be in a firefight. “I assume the police’s response time is a little better than the ones in the States?” He joked, making his way to the fire exit, Lena nodded as she walked beside him, stepping out into the cold autumn air of London. The distant sound of sirens could be heard, David sighed as he turned towards her, “Care to resume this tour tomorrow?”

“Meet me at the Fox and Bear, it’s by the underground at King’s Row. Two pm sharp!” Lena giggled, waving to David with two fingers as she departed down the alleyway. He let out a chuckle, his eyes glancing at her hips as she walked away, before he slipped his hands into his jacket. He made his way out of the alleyway, quickly hailing a cab to take him back to his hotel, preferring not to stick around when the police arrive. He slumped into the seat, resting his elbow on the windowsill, his hand placed over his mouth as he gazed at the city around him. He let out a soft chuckle as he made his way back to the hotel, maybe London would be more eventful than he had planned.


	2. Chapter 2

David sighed as he stepped off the subway, the bleak interior of the station did little to comfort him. King’s Row wasn’t known to be the most welcoming neighborhood, particularly after the assassination of Mondatta, but he could handle himself. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he climbed the stairs, withdrawing a cigarette as he stepped out into the brisk street. The sun was high in the sky, though it did little to warm him, he brought his lighter up to the end of the cigarette, flicking the flame on, before placing it back into his pocket. He took a long drag as he made his way down the street, the place Lena told him about wasn’t too far, he glanced at his watch as he continued down the street, he was twenty minutes early. David laughed, he had expected to spend his time in London inebriated out of his mind, not getting lunch with a cute girl, though things rarely went how he planned them. A metallic bang echoed from an alleyway nearby, David glanced down it, briefly considering ignoring it, before begrudgingly walking towards the source of the noise. The sounds of laughter could be heard between bangs, David sighed as he rounded a corner at the end of the alleyway, three men stood over an Omnic who was huddled on the ground, two of them were hitting him with bats. David cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the men, they looked young, none of them could be over twenty. “There you go.” David smiled, exhaling a long cloud of smoke as he eyed up the men, the bats would pose a slight problem. “So, you’re going to leave him alone, or I make sure you wake up in a hospital.” His smile didn’t fade, preferring to be patronizing to his would-be attackers, who looked at one another before laughing.

  
“You’re gonna play hero?” One spook, slowly walking towards David, the other two followed. “We’ll give you one chance to walk away.”

  
“Funny, I was about to say the same thing.” David laughed, his hands still in his pockets, one of the men raised his bat, preparing to swing it at him. He ducked underneath it as it flew by, thrusting his knee into the stomach of his attacker, who fell to the ground clutching the point of impact. David picked up the bat from the ground with his right hand, his left still sat in his pocket, he didn’t want to make it too easy. The eyes of the other two men looked down at their friend, before their gazes returned to David, a smile still on his face. They lunged at him, David dodged out of the way, these kids had never been in a real fight before, they were uncoordinated, there was no finesse to their strikes. He slammed the bat into the leg of the armed man, causing him to fall to his knees, before striking his head with his knee, there was no need to cause any lasting damage. The final attacker stared in shock at David, inwardly weighing his options, before lunging at him again. David let out a sigh, gently shaking his head as he smashed the bat against his head, his limp body dropped to the floor. He tossed the bat to the ground, checking the pulse of the two unconscious men, they were still alive. The groans of the first attacker caught his attention, he was still clutching his stomach on the ground.

  
“The nausea will subside in a bit, you’ll be okay.” David laughed as he crouched down next to him, the man weakly groaned as he was pulled to his feet. “Get them out of here, and try not to cause any more trouble.” He sighed as he made his way over to the Omnic in the corner, small dents covered his chassis, no doubt from the bats of those kids. David extended his hand to him, clutching his metal hand as he pulled him to his feet. “You all right?” The Omnic nodded, thanking him as he made his way out of the alleyway. David took another drag of his cigarette, making his way back onto the street as he let out another chuckle, London was certainly more entertaining than back home. He glanced up at the sign above a nearby building, this was the place she mentioned, he had a few minutes before she should arrive. He leaned against the wall and took another drag of his cigarette, savoring the flavor as he examined his surroundings. Several walls had anti-Omnic graffiti sprayed across them, most of them using slurs to describe them, thankfully Omnics were rarely in King’s Row. They had been confined to an underground portion of the district called The Underground, though it could be argued that it was done for the safety of the Omnics, it was nothing more than a glorified prison. They never spoke out against it, not because they didn’t want to, but because they couldn’t. England faced some of the heaviest casualties during The Omnic Crisis, wounds like that would take some time to heal, and public opinion would take even longer to shift. A few countries had welcomed these New Omnics with open arms, cities like Numbani were effectively sanctuaries for them, they were treated the same as any other citizen. America was happy to accept all Omnics who wished to live there, they knew the consequences of discrimination better than most. David sighed as he extinguished his cigarette on an ashtray, tossing it into the bin underneath it, before glancing down the street. He spotted Lena’s familiar hair as she walked towards him, still wearing her flight jacket, though her orange pants had been replaced with a pair of jeans, along with her same white canvas shoes. “Right on time.” David chuckled, glancing at the smile that she wore, the same necklace from last night hung around her neck, its slight glow was still present. “Shall we?” David held open the door to the pub, Lena giggled as she walked inside.

  
“What a gentleman.” David chuckled, following her inside, they spotted an open table in the corner, a perfect spot for them. He sat down, giving Lena the seat next to the window, leaning his chair against the wall as she plopped down. “Don’t want the seat with the view, luv?”

  
“The view here is great.” He winked slyly at her, a small amount of blush tinged her cheeks, accompanied by her usual giggle. A waiter quickly approached the table, handing them a couple of menus, before departing just as swiftly. “So, what’s good here?” David eyed the menu, perusing the selection of alcohol they provided, it was five o’clock somewhere.

  
“Can’t go wrong with fish n’ chips!” Lena excitedly spoke, he assumed he’d be paying again, he never had to worry about money, but tried to exercise some restraint on spending. The waiter returned, a small pad of paper in his hand, looking at David for his order.

  
“I’ll take the fish and chips, along with a bottle of Worm Catcher.” The waiter scribbled down his order and turned to Lena.

  
“I’ll take the same.” They handed their menus to him, neither of them had a chance to speak much during the events of the previous night. Before David had a chance to speak, the waiter had returned with their beers, placing them in the center of the table. Lena picked up a bottle, holding it into the air, “Cheers, luv.” She laughed as David clinked his bottle against her, taking a long swig of the cold brew. “So, tell me about yourself, David.” She leaned forward against the table, crossing her arms across one another.

  
“What do you want to know?”

  
“Let’s start with where you’re from, maybe what you do?” Lena giggled.

  
“Well, I’m from a small town in America, just outside of Atlanta, never cared much for the place. I served in the military for a few years, eventually leaving to go into private sector work, was a security contractor for a long time. Moved from country to country, wherever I was hired to work, mostly just work for wealthy socialites, but there were some more exciting missions.”

  
“Private security, huh? Guard any famous people?” David laughed as he took another sip of his beer.

  
“Probably no one you’d know, but there was this family that hired me in Japan, think their name was Shimada. Typical rich family, lived in a massive house, though there was some illegitimate work going on. I got brought on to be a personal guard for the youngest son, kid by the name of Genji.” Lena’s eyes lit up at the mention of him, though she held her tongue. “Not a super eventful gig, but we’d always go to this same arcade every single day, eventually some boys came in looking for a fight. I dealt with them, tossing them back out onto the street, and was greeted by a large plush toy from the owner when I came back inside. Didn’t have anywhere to keep it, so I let Genji keep it to give to some girl. He always was popular with the ladies, made me look like a nervous wreck.” David laughed, motioning towards Lena, “Your turn.”

  
“I grew up on the outskirts of London, only child, wanted to get out and see the world, so I enlisted in the RAF. I was a great pilot, one of the best, which caught the attention of some recruiters. I ended up being transferred to Overwatch, where I got to test experimental craft for them. A few things happened during my time there, but eventually I wound up back in London, doing the odd job here and there.”

  
“I see you don’t wear those goggles all the time.” David chuckled, earning a giggle from Lena.

  
“So, you knew who I was the whole time?”

  
“You don’t try to hide it very hard, maybe try a different hairstyle.” The pair laughed, their food was placed before them, David handed his card to the waiter as he departed. “I don’t get how you do the whole ‘hero’ thing, I’d go crazy from all the people recognizing me.”

  
“Is that why you have a mask, luv?”

  
“It’s one of the reasons, though I think it looks pretty good on me.” He spoke, biting into the food on his plate, the flaky batter complimenting the smooth texture of the fish. The pair ate, discussing the events of their own military services, trading the occasional story of their more heroic exploits, David’s tended to pale in comparison to Lena’s. They pushed their empty plates towards the center of the table, he glanced over at a pool table in the center of the bar, flashing a smirk towards Lena. “Care for a game?” He said, making his way over to the cues on the wall, handing one off to her as she arrived. He laid his cue on the pool table, reaching into each hole to withdraw the billiard balls, racking them on the opposite end. He rubbed some chalk onto the end of his cue, motioning towards Lena, “Ladies first.” Lena giggled as she leaned over the table, playfully shaking her hips as she prepared her shot, David gently bit his lip as he watched. The balls scattered across the table as the shot connected, though David’s attention was focused on the door that just slammed open, three men stood in the doorway.

  
“You the fucker who beat up my brother?” The one at the front spoke, pointing at David, he sighed, preparing for the worst. He nodded as they approached, he carefully pushed Lena away, not wanting her to get caught up in his fight, before placing his cue on the table. The man swung at David, he dodged and slammed his fist into his jaw, the momentarily stunned man stumbled backwards, being caught by his two friends. “Oh, you’re dead!” He charged at him again, swinging once more, his arm suddenly stopping as David grabbed it, quickly snapping it before pushing him to the ground. David smiled as the other two men approached, smashing his pool cue across one of their faces, sending him to the ground. He dodged the punch of the last man, grabbing his head as slammed against the table. He looked over at the bartender, who cautiously eyed David, he let out another sigh before speaking.

  
“Feel free to tell the police what happened; a few guys were looking to cause trouble, things got out of hand.” He glanced over at Lena, who had placed her cue back on the wall, “We should probably go.” The two laughed as they walked outside, David withdrew his phone as they made their way down the street.

 

“What was that about?” Lena questioned, looking up at David with her hazel eyes.

  
“Some punks were harassing an Omnic, I broke it up, though I guess he didn’t learn his lesson.” He had missed a call during his lunch with Lena, they had tried to reach him multiple times, though he didn’t recognize the number. “Give me one second.” David tapped on the screen, calling the number back, stepping a short distance away from Lena. The phone rang a few times before being picked up, a deep voice spoke from the other end.

  
“We’ve got a job for you.”

  
“I’m on vacation, can it wait?”

  
“It’s not far, we’ll supply all the equipment, just need you to make sure it goes over smoothly. I’ll send you the details.” The line cut off, David cursed as he glanced at the screen again, a message had arrived from the same number. These black ops guys were always cryptic, he had no idea what he’d be walking into, but the pay was good. He made his way back over to Lena, apologizing as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

  
“Sorry, but I’m gonna have to cut this short, but here’s my number.” David handed her a small piece of paper with his digits scrawled on it, smiling as she took it. “Don’t be a stranger, Tracer.” The two laughed as he departed, waving behind him as he disappeared around the corner.


	3. Chapter 3

David lit a fresh cigarette as he walked down the street, a black SUV pulled up next to him, this was his ride. He stepped inside the vehicle, examining his fellow passengers as they drove through the city, no one said a word. He was handed a pistol by the man next to him, he wordlessly accepted it and placed it into his waistband, tapping his cigarette in the ashtray. He had worked with this unit before, doing several odd jobs around the Middle-East with them, mostly related to the building tensions in the region. They were efficient, getting the job done at any cost, though they usually had the element of surprise on their side. This deal would be different, his briefing mentioned they’d be meeting a representative from Talon, he hated just thinking of the organization. They were the most infamous terrorist cell on the planet, rumor had it that a literal ghost was leading them, though he thought of it as nothing more than a myth. They were behind the assassination of Mondatta in King’s Row, an attempt on Katya Volskaya’s life in Russia, along with innumerable hijackings and hostage situations throughout the world. He skimmed through the briefing on his phone as they left the city limits, they were picking up some experimental weaponry from Talon in exchange for a large sum of money, along with any intel they had about Overwatch. Talon had always been interested in picking through the remains of the once mighty organization, though it wasn’t uncommon for him to get job offers relating to Overwatch’s infrastructure, there were a lot of secrets hidden within their bases scattered across the world. David sighed as they slowed to a stop outside an abandoned factory, another car was waiting for them, the passengers exited and nodded at them. David stepped out of the vehicle, catching a Kevlar vest that had been tossed at him, it’s black angular patterns were reminiscent of what Talon wore. He slipped off his jacket to put the vest on, tightening it as he slid his arms back into the sleeves, at least it looked nice. He tossed his cigarette to the ground, stamping it out with his foot, before pulling his mask over his face, Talon weren’t the type of people you’d want to have after you. “You ready?” The voice was the same as the one on the phone, David turned to greet its owner, he wore armor bearing the same black angles, a large rifle hung around his chest. David nodded, withdrawing his pistol as he followed the men inside, the afternoon light streamed inside through several large holes in the roof, illuminating the center of the factory, several armed men stood with a large crate in front of them.

  
“You’re finally here, let’s make this quick.” The man at the front of the group spoke, his arms were folded behind his back, “I presume you’ve brought what we’ve asked for?”

  
“We did, can we look at the merchandise?” The armored man spoke, motioning towards the crate, the Talon representative laughed, pushing open the lid of the crate. Several rifles sat inside, their silver frames were angular, a faint blue glow emanated from each one.

  
“Nice, aren’t they? Each railgun can fire a shot up to 600 meters, anything past that won’t kill on impact. Hold the trigger to charge, release it to fire, quite a fun little toy.” The representative shut the crate again, the armored man placed a briefcase next to it.  
“It’s all there, pleasure doing business with you- “He was cut off as gunfire erupted from the Talon soldiers, David quickly took cover behind a conveyer belt, peering over it at the center of the room. Two of his comrades had been killed instantly, the others were far enough away to make it to cover, with him alive that meant they had five left. He counted the Talon soldiers who had begun to advance, counting eight in total, odds certainly weren’t with him. He fired a shot into the head of one of the soldiers, his blood squirting into the air as his limp body collapsed to the ground. His shot had drawn the attention of the soldiers, his comrades had taken the opportunity to lay down some suppressing fire. Seven on five, those odds were a little better. An explosion shook the factory, two of his allies’ bodies flew into the air, a trail of bloody mist behind them. David fired into the chest of a nearby soldier, his scream permeating through the air as he fell to the ground. Six on three, odds were back on Talon’s side, he grunted as he slid underneath the conveyer belt, lying prone on the ground as a soldier rushed to the fresh corpse. David fired a shot into his ankle, causing him to fall to the floor, before shooting him in the head, rolling out as shots pelted the ground near him. David sprinted to the pair of corpses, grabbing a grenade from their waist before tossing it at a nearby soldier, who disappeared inside the cloud of shrapnel. He quickly scanned the factory, noting a fresh corpse of another mercenary who had managed to take out a Talon soldier with him, three on two. He glanced over at his last comrade, who was lying on the ground as a Talon soldier approached him, the two were engulfed in a sudden explosion, kamikaze wasn’t a bad way to go out. David cursed as shots slammed into his cover, firing back at his attacker, managing to pick him off before he could return to cover.

  
“Where’s that last fucker- “David winced as a shot slammed into his side, the armor did little to dull the pain. He groaned as he pushed himself up, he hadn’t seen where the shot came from, cursing as he made his way towards the center of the factory. He slid behind the crate as shot pelted it, chunks of wood were scattered into the air, he clutched his side in pain as he peered around his cover. He noticed a faint muzzle flash from the upper level of the factory, the last Talon soldier had taken cover inside of the foreman’s office. “Time to see what you’re made of.” David grunted, pulling a railgun from the wrecked crate, holding the trigger as he glanced at the office again. The shots came from the furthest window on the right, the railgun should be able to penetrate the thin metal wall he used as cover. He emerged from cover, a shot slamming into his leg as he did so. The adrenaline managed to keep him standing, allowing him to release the trigger as he pointed the weapon at his target, the wall he hid behind was ripped apart, large amounts of blood could be seen amidst the destruction, his shot had connected. He tossed the gun to the ground as he clutched his side, stumbling his way out of the factory, making his way towards the car he arrived in. He slumped against the side of the vehicle, shakily breathing as he pulled his hand away from his wound, the blood had soaked through his clothing. He was in no condition to drive, a he felt strangely cold, despite wearing a jacket. “What’s the point of armor if it doesn’t protect you from shit?” He chuckled, wincing as he laid his head against the door, before his attention was brought to the sound of footsteps approaching. He clutched his pistol, aiming it at the source of the noise, a blue light shone from the corner, before Lena appeared in front of him, pushing his hand to the ground. She wore her hero attire; the pair of orange pants from the club, her typical flight jacket, a pair of custom white shoes, orange goggles, along with her chronal accelerator strapped to her chest. “Fancy meeting you here.” David weakly laughed, wincing again as she hoisted him to his feet.

  
“Don’t speak, luv.” Her tone was serious, she placed his arm around her, letting him lean on her for support as they walked away from the factory. A small dropship sat nearby, the Overwatch logo emblazoned on the side, evidently Lena had kept some toys from her time with them. She opened the passenger door, placing David in the seat, before closing the door and entering the pilot’s seat. The shuttle lifted from the ground, prompting another groan from David as he clutched his side, he never did care much for flying. They soared back into London, landing on a rooftop of an apartment complex, Lena hopped out and made her way to his door, assisting him in exiting the craft. She let him lean on her again as they made their way to the roof entrance, slowly descending the stairwell until they reached the twelve floor. Lena tapped in a combination to a door, opening it to reveal a rather spacious apartment. “You should feel lucky, luv, getting to see my place on the second date.” Lena giggled as she laid him on the couch, David chuckled as he propped himself against the armrest, glancing down at the wound on his leg. “First things first, we’ve gotta get those wounds patched up.” Lena blinked around the room, grabbing a first aid kit along with a needle and a small amount of gauze. She placed them on the coffee table, blinking to the fridge and withdrawing a bottle of vodka from within, handing it to David as she rummaged through the first aid kit. He took a long swig as he rolled up his jeans, revealing the bloody wound underneath, the brass of the bullet could faintly be seen within. David shouted in pain as he poured the vodka onto the wound, washing most of the blood away, before taking another swig. He turned to Lena, nodding as she moved the tweezers close to the wound, reaching inside as she took hold of the round. David yelped as she yanked it out, taking another swig of vodka to dull the pain, before pouring a small amount onto his wound again. “Okay, stay still, luv.” Lena spoke, tightly wrapping the gauze around his leg, stopping after several wraps. David laughed as he slipped his jacket off, removing the worthless armor he had been given for the job, before lifting his shirt. He used his left hand to hold his shirt in place, holding the vodka in his right, taking a small swig before splashing some against his side. Lena used the tweezers to remove the bullet from his wound, placing it next to the previously extracted round. She giggled as she prepared an antiseptic pad to place over the wound, “You’re in pretty good shape, luv.” She glanced at the toned muscles along his lower torso, they had a slight shine from his sweat.

  
“Getting shot at tends to keep you fairly active.” David chuckled, taking another swig as she attached the pad to his side, before he lowered his shirt. “So, what’s next, hero?” David whispered, biting his lower lip as his green eyes met her hazel orbs. Lena smirked as his face neared hers, pulling him into a quick kiss before separating.

  
“You need to get some rest.” She laughed as she blinked over to a closet, withdrawing a blanket from within, tossing it to David. “Make yourself at home, luv, I’ve gotta fill out a report.” She waved as she disappeared into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. He glanced around the room, it was a well-kept apartment, no large piles of garbage sitting around, though there was an overabundance of British memorabilia. David let out a sigh as he pulled the blanket over him, placing the bottle of vodka on the table, before settling in for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

David groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the light streaming in through the windows. He stood up from the couch, stretching his arms into the air as he sleepily examined his surroundings. “You’re finally up.” Lena giggled, David glanced over to find her already dressed, her hair in it’s typical spiked style. She seemed to glow in the sunlight, though her smile emitted a light of its own, the accelerator she wore yesterday was laying on the counter.

  
“Can I use your shower?” David mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he grabbed fresh gauze and a new pad from the first aid kit.

  
“Go ahead, luv.” Lena laughed, she was cooking something, though he was too groggy to recognize what it was. David waved as he entered the bathroom, a large shower stood across from the cluttered sink, various products littered the granite surface. He let out a chuckle as he shut the door, placing his bandages onto the counter before turning on the shower. The corner seemed like a suitable place for his clothing, he tossed them over before grabbing a towel from underneath the sink, feeling the water with his right hand as he hung it over the glass door. David stepped inside, letting the warm water run over his toned body, it did wonders to soothe his wounds, though they still stung. He ran his hands through his hair, gently rubbing his scalp before he reached for the shampoo, pouring a small amount before rubbing it between his hands. The white substance completely covered his hair, he let out a sigh as he thoroughly rinsed it out, feeling refreshed as the water rejuvenated him. He shut the shower off before grabbing his towel from the door, gently drying himself off as he stepped onto the cold tiled floor. He ripped the pad from his side, quietly wincing, before he placed the fresh one over his wound. The gauze around his leg was soaked from the water, he leaned against the counter as he slowly unwound it, before rewrapping it with the clean gauze. David slipped back into his clothes, a knock at the door grabbed his attention as he picked up his shirt. He opened the door, Lena stood before him, emitting a small gasp at the shirtless man before her.

  
“See something you like?” David teased, echoing her taunt from the bar. She stared for a few moments, before shaking herself back to her senses.

  
“I, uh, just wanted to tell you that breakfast was ready.” She quickly stammered, making her way to the dining table as David shut the door behind him. He slipped his shirt over himself, limping slightly as he joined her, a plate covered in eggs and bacon awaited him, a glass of orange juice sat next to it.

  
“Thanks, I’ll pay you back somehow.” David laughed, taking a sip of his drink as he glanced at Lena, winking slyly. A small blush tinged her cheeks, but was soon replaced by her usual bubbly laugh. “So, what’s next on my personalized tour?” He spoke between bites of food, seasoning his eggs with a modest amount of pepper.

  
“Glad you asked, I’ve got something I could really use your help with, luv!” She excitedly spoke, a wide grin had crossed her face. “Talon’s gonna smuggle some weapons into London, we’re gonna stop them!” David nearly choked on his eggs, coughing profusely before regaining his composure.

  
“Are you sure that’s the best idea in my… current condition?”

  
“Aw, come on, luv! It’ll be fun!”

  
“I try to avoid dying.”

  
“I’ll keep you safe, don’t you trust me?” Lena looked at him with her hazel eyes, silently pleading for him to join her.

  
“Can’t say no to a cute girl.” David sighed, giving in to the adorable woman, who cheered in joy.

  
“It’s been too long since I’ve had a partner, this is gonna be great!” Lena could hardly contain her excitement, David let out a chuckle as he stood up from the table, placing his cup and plate in the sink. He glanced over at Lena, who had slipped back into her chronal accelerator, before retrieving the pistol he had been given the day before. A pair of magazines were in his pocket, they were all he got from the botched mission, though they’d be handy today.

  
“So, when is this smuggling taking place?” David asked, slipping the pistol into his waistband.

  
“In about twenty minutes.”

  
“I’m sorry? Did you say twenty minutes?” Lena nodded, quietly humming to herself as she made her way to the door, motioning for him to follow her. “Playing this a little close, aren’t you?” David joked, letting out a small sigh as she locked the door behind them. The shuttle was still parked on the roof of the complex, a few flights of stairs were between them and it, David inwardly sighed knowing he’d had to climb up them with an injured leg. He let Lena go ahead of him as to not slow her down, along with wanting to enjoy the view. Though one wouldn’t notice it from the slight limp, David’s leg was in immense pain as he neared the top of the final stairwell, his fists were tightly clenched in his pockets, allowing him to keep a cool demeanor, the playful shake of Lena’s hips helped motivate him as well. He sat in the shuttle next to her, resisting the urge to exhale deeply, he never liked showing weakness in front of others.

  
“You don’t have to play it all cool, luv.” Lena giggled as the shuttle took off, prompting him to let out a sigh as he pulled his mask over his face.

  
“So, what’s the plan?”

  
“Plan?”

  
“Yeah, you know, what we’re going to do when we get there?”

  
“Hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

  
“Fuck me.” David muttered, maybe agreeing to this was a bad idea, though it hardly mattered now.

  
“Careful what you wish for.” Lena playfully flirted, David was the one blushing this time. The pair laughed as they landed, they’d have a few minutes until Talon arrived, plenty of time to set up an ambush. David surveyed the area, a small ramp for lowering boats into the water sat on the far end, a narrow tunnel that led out to the street sat on the opposite side, several shuttles were parked haphazardly around the area. There was very little in the way of cover, outside of the shuttles, their ambush would have to be simple. “Got a plan?” Lena chimed, smiling as she glanced around the lot.

  
“Hide behind a shuttle?” David shrugged, making his way behind the closest vehicle.

  
“Master tactician, ain’t ya, luv?” Lena giggled, joined by a chuckle from David. He withdrew a cigarette from his pocket, offering one to Lena, who declined, before lighting it. He took a long drag, it helped numb the pain of his wounds a small bit. David sighed, his ears perking out at the sound of a boat arriving, followed shortly by the sounds of a van pulling up.

  
“Showtime.” He chuckled, taking another drag of his cigarette, before peering over the shuttle. Several guards could be seen rummaging around the van, loading crates into the back. His eyes turned to Lena, widening as she was nowhere to be found, he could hear her voice from the center of the lot. David sighed as he withdrew his pistol, peering around the corner to find Lena standing between several Talon guards, giving them a chance to surrender. The guards appeared to briefly consider it, before readying their weapons, firing at Lena as she appeared behind them. David chuckled as he fired into the guards furthest from her, envious of her ability to freely maneuver around the battlefield. His shots drew their attention to him, dipping back behind the shuttle as bullets pelted into it, dryly chuckling as he reloaded. He glanced around the corner, he had managed to kill two guards, though two more were quickly making their way towards him, Lena seemed able to handle the rest. David set his still-burning cigarette on the ground, rolling underneath the shuttle, watching the two guards’ feet from his vantage point, quietly making his way behind them. He heard them gasp in shock at the sight of a single cigarette, though no sign of the shooter, it was time to make his move. David shot the closet guard in the back of the leg, slamming his head against the metal of the shuttle, before putting the other into a choke hold. The guard struggled helplessly as he tightened his grip, eventually his spasms subsided as he went limp in David’s grasp. He laid the guard onto the ground, placing his cigarette back in his mouth, his injured leg shook as he stood up. His gaze turned towards the van, Lena had taken care of the rest of the guards, they were strewn about on the ground in various states of injury. She seemed to go out of her way to use non-lethal force, though David preferred whichever was more efficient, granted, Lena was a hero and he was effectively a mercenary. “Nice work, partner.” David joked as he walked towards her, a large grin crossed her face at the word.

  
“You too, luv.”

  
“So, what do we do with them?” David spoke, dropping his cigarette, before stomping it out with his foot. His eyes fell on the crates that were being loaded into the van, they were like the ones Talon had on his previous mission.  
“I usually just leave em’ for the coppers, send in a tip.” She glanced down at the crates, crouching down beside one. “Let’s see what we’ve got ‘ere.” David made his way to her side, his eyes scanning the Talon guards that littered the ground, watching for any suspicious movements. One clutched something in his hand, David’s eyes widened as a grin crossed the guard’s face, before he slumped backwards. David tackled Lena away from the van, placing himself between her and the guard as an explosion consumed the guard and everything around him, propelling the two across the ground. They skidded to a halt, David slowly opened his eyes to meet Lena’s, weakly chuckling as he loosened his grip.

  
“You all right?” He whispered, his green eyes piercing into her hazel orbs, she gently nodded, their eyes still focused on one another. Lena’s gloved hand reached up to his mask, pulling it down, revealing the short stubble hidden beneath it, her other hand pulled his head towards hers. David was shocked for a moment, before allowing her to pull him in, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. Their heavy breathing was quiet compared to the crackle of the fire that had engulfed the van, David gently pushed his tongue into Lena’s mouth. She emitted a small moan, before returning the gesture, their tongues wrapping around each other as their bodies mimicked this motion. David mustered up the will to pull himself away, his gaze returning to her large eyes, a trace of lust could be seen within. “Why don’t we take this somewhere more… private?” He whispered, leaning in close to her ear, still breathing heavily as he pushed himself to his feet. Lena bit her lip, staring up at David before taking his outstretched hand, pulling herself to her feet.

  
“Aye aye.”


	5. Chapter 5

The door slammed open, David and Lena’s bodies were intertwined as they made their way towards the bedroom, loosely flinging their outerwear off as the flopped down onto the mattress. Their heavy breathing filled the room, interrupted only by the occasional moan as their tongues probed deep into one another. David pulled himself away, stopping inches away from Lena’s face, their hot breath gently caressing their faces. “You ready?” He smiled, letting out a soft chuckle as Lena nodded, softly biting her lower lip. His hands wrapped around the waist of her elastic pants, gently tugging on them, as a sudden ring filled the room. Lena shot up from the bed, glancing over at her desk, the terminal atop it was shining brightly as the ringing continued. David sighed as she blinked over to the desk, slipping a cigarette into his mouth as he made his way onto the small balcony that hung from her apartment. He quietly shut the door behind him, leaning against the railing as he ignited the end of his cigarette. “Just my luck.” David dryly chuckled, taking a long drag before exhaling the smoke into the air. He’d prefer to be inside to hear what Lena was talking about, but he didn’t want to smoke inside her apartment, it wasn’t terribly considerate to smoke inside without asking. The tall spires of downtown London stretched high into the air, if he was any closer they would’ve felt imposing, but from the distance of Lena’s apartment they offered an interesting enough skyline to gaze at. Distant cars streaked through the air, their distance hums breaking the surprising silence of the balcony, forming several long streams that wound around the towers. David took another drag of the cigarette, relaxing his posture as the adrenaline from the mission and the short fling with Lena wore off. He let out a sigh as he flicked his cigarette from the balcony, no one would know that he littered, and the wind would extinguish the flames before it hit the ground. His gaze turned back to Lena, who was excitedly speaking into the terminal, the glow of the screen illuminating her large smile. The cold air followed David inside as he reentered the apartment, shutting the door behind him, before Lena began to wave him over.

  
“Oi, luv, it’s Genji!” She excitedly spoke, blinking over to drag him before the terminal. An armored ninja was projected on the screen, his steel plating lined with green accents, his visor gently shining in the dark room. “Genji, you remember him?” She pointed to David as she plopped down in the chair, slowly swinging her legs as she smiled at her old friend. Genji’s head turned slightly, David could feel his eyes panning up and down his body, examining him for any signs of familiarity.

  
“I am afraid I do not.” Genji slowly spoke, his Japanese accent punctuating his speech.

  
“Didn’t expect you to, I wasn’t your only guard.” David joked, slipping his hands into his pockets as he stood next to Lena, unsure of what to do.

  
“Tell him what you were tellin’ me!” Lena spoke, unfazed by the interaction between the two men.

  
“Are you sure he’s- “

  
“He’s fine, luv. We’re partners, after all!” David nervously chuckled at Lena’s words, they had only been on a single mission together, unless she counted the two dates as well. Genji paused for a moment, before continuing.

  
“Very well. I had called Miss Oxton to inform her of a recent attempt on my master’s life. As you know, Human and Omnic are struggling against one another, particularly after Mondatta’s death.” Lena shifted slightly at the mention of the monk, she was there when he was assassinated by Widowmaker, at least that’s what the reports said. “I believe the same individuals are after Master Zenyatta, but I do not plan to let them succeed, with your help.”

  
“We’ll be there in a jiffy, luv, you can count on us!” Lena gave a thumbs up to the terminal, her large smile still present, while David merely nodded.

  
“Thank you.” Genji bowed to the camera, before the screen shut off, David let out a quiet sigh before turning to Lena.

  
“Well, if we’re leaving London, I’ve got to check out of my hotel.” He made his way towards the front door, turning back as he reached for his jacket. “You don’t mind if I spend the night here, do you?”

  
“Course not, luv, my home is yours!” David let a chuckle as Lena enthusiastically waved at him, waving one hand back as he shut the door behind him, before slipping his hands back into his jacket pockets. The elevator button let out a satisfying click as he pressed it, stepping inside the empty cabin before pressing the button for the lobby. His footsteps echoed through the lobby as he made his way outside, inwardly bracing himself as he stepped out into the cold fall air. He withdrew his phone, bringing up a map that would take him back to the hotel, it was surprisingly close to Lena’s apartment, no more than ten minutes on foot. The occasional passerby would glance at him, few people were out on the streets this late, time flew by when you spent it with Lena. He sighed as he glanced at his route, it would take him right through an alleyway, but taking the next-best route would add several minutes to his trip. The sound of new footsteps joined his own, causing him to stop halfway down the alley, slowly turning around to meet his followers. A knife shone in the dark, glinting with the flickering light of a nearby street lamp.

  
“Your money or your life.” The man wielding the knife spoke, his compatriot standing imposingly beside him.

  
“Can I go a single fucking day in this city without getting into a fight?” David sighed, slowly removing his hands from his pockets. This was a nice chance to work out his frustrations, after all, he and Lena were interrupted. The man swung the knife towards David, his eyes flashed towards it as he stopped his wrist with his left hand, smashing his right into the man’s neck. The momentarily stunned man loosened his grip on the knife, allowing David to wretch it free from his grasp, stabbing it deep into his chest. He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, his compatriot moved in to attack. His fists swung at David, who pushed his arm away to deflect his attack, slamming his own fist into the man’s side, before grabbing hold of him and slamming him into the wall. David paused for a moment, staring into the fearful eyes of the man he held, before slamming his head against the stone wall, letting his limp body drop to the ground. He sighed as he slipped his hands back into his pockets, resuming his path back to the hotel, it felt good to work out stress like that, it was almost therapeutic. Did he ever thank his old CO for teaching him CQC? It was certainly a handy trick to have, particularly if you didn’t want to kill anyone. He never remembered calling his CO by his name, everyone just called him Boss, maybe he’d meet him again one day, but last he heard he was doing PMC work in Africa, not exactly his scene. The inviting warmth of the hotel was a welcome sight, David stepped inside the heated lobby, making his way to the elevator, exiting on the sixth floor. He pushed open the door to his room, unhooking the privacy sign from the handle, the interior had been left in an unkempt state. His duffle bag sat on the couch, he grabbed any loose articles of clothing from the room, stopping in the bathroom to grab his toiletries, before placing them inside the bag. He hoisted it over his back, the rough canvas material coarsely rubbing against the material of his jacket, its olive-green color contrasting with the navy of his jacket. David returned to the lobby, handing the front desk his room key, along with signing for his early departure from the hotel, he had planned to stay in London for a few more days, but things rarely go as planned. A taxi awaited him outside the hotel, called by the front desk to allow him to easily leave the premises, a welcome reprieve from walking down the cold streets. He brought up the map on his phone again, guiding the taxi back to Lena’s apartment, leaving him a small tip as he exited the vehicle, thanking the man as he reached for the door. A small keypad sat next to it, a red light shone from the device, indicating that the door was locked. David sighed as he withdrew his phone, tapping on the screen to call Lena, the phone rang a few times before she answered.

  
“Hey, Lena? It’s David, what’s the combination to get into the building?”

  
“4376, I’ve got something for you when you get up here.” Lena chimed into the phone, her voice still every bit as cheery as usual.

  
“Looking forward to it.” David chuckled, hanging up the phone as he entered the combination, the light changed to green and emitted a sharp beep, the lock was open. He pushed open the door as he made his way to the elevator, tapping the button to Lena’s floor as he leaned against the side of the cabin. The elevator came to a stop, the doors slowly parting as he made his way down the carpeted hallway, stopping in front of the door to her apartment, gently rapping his right knuckle against the wooden door. Lena answered the door, wearing a large t-shirt and a pair of shorts, David stared for a moment, before shaking himself back to reality. “Can I come in?” He chuckled, Lena moved aside to let him inside, allowing him to place his bag on the kitchen counter. Lena had sat down on the couch, motioning for him to join her, a smile on her face. David sat down beside her, noticing a pizza placed on the table, liberal amounts of pepperoni had been placed onto it. His eyes moved to the television, it sat on the main menu of Porco Rosso, prompting him to chuckle gently. He was quite familiar with Ghibli’s work from his childhood, his family had owned a great deal of their films, but he hadn’t expected Lena to be a fan.

  
“Figured we could watch a movie on your last night ‘ere, relax a little.” David laughed as Lena beamed with pride, reaching for the remote to begin the movie, before grabbing a slice of pizza.

  
David groaned as the credits rolled, the pizza box was empty, split evenly between himself and Lena. She laughed as she hopped up from the couch, making her way towards the bedroom. “I’ll sleep on the couch again?” David questioned, glancing around for a blanket.

  
“Plenty of space in my bed, luv.” Lena giggled, playfully leaning against the doorway to her room.

  
“You want to sleep in the same bed? I mean, we’ve only known each other a few days.” David nervously chuckled.

  
“We almost shagged earlier, I’d say this is a step down, don’t ya think?” Lena laughed again, motioning for David to follow her, prompting him to let out a small sigh before he obliged. She hopped into the bed, watching David as he slid out of his jeans, before sinking into the mattress. He joined her on the bed, keeping a small distance between them, unsure of how to proceed. “Come on, I don’t bite.” Lena joked, pulling David closer to her, draping his arm around her. He let out a small sigh as her warmth spread to him, staring up at the ceiling as he contemplated their dynamic. “Goodnight, luv.”

  
“Goodnight, Lena.” David shut his eyes, he’d have time to figure this out on the trip to Japan, but he needed to get some rest while he still could.


	6. Chapter 6

David sighed as he pushed himself from the bed, tossing a quick glance towards Lena’s smaller frame, still wrapped underneath the blanket. He smiled as she gently stirred, letting out a small groan as she pulled the blankets tighter around herself. The dim morning sun shone through the windows, illuminating a small portion of the space. He stretched his arms as he made his way towards his discarded bag, rummaging through it his electric razor. The bathroom light flickered on as he entered, forcing him to briefly cover his eyes from the bright led. He pulled his skin, allowing him full access to the hair on his jaw as he carefully trimmed its length, anything more than stubble was an inconvenience. His eyes flashed towards the first aid kit that laid on the counter, Lena must’ve moved it there so he wouldn’t have to rummage through it for what he needed. A chuckle escaped his lips as he continued to shave, his green orbs carefully examining every change in the length of his beard, inwardly comparing it to the pre-shave length. He shut the razor, setting it down on the counter, before turning the shower on, setting it to a comfortably warm temperature. David made his way back into the living room, dragging his duffle bag into the bathroom, he’d prefer a change of clothes nearby. He discarded his attire to a corner, bearing a small smirk as he glanced at himself in the mirror as he stepped into the shower. He stretched his arms back as the water ran over him, washing away any loose hair that had fallen down his shirt into the drain below. A flow of crimson fluid ran down the drain, David bitterly chuckled as he glanced down at the wound in his side, the pad had become loose in the water, allowing a small amount of blood to escape. He attempted to reapply the pad, to no avail, the adhesive had worn off, it was effectively a glorified piece of tissue paper. He winced as he ripped the pad from his side, balling it up as he cracked open the shower door, tossing it into the nearby waste bin. His thoughts turned to Lena as he ran his hands through his hair, applying a liberal amount of shampoo to the block locks, what exactly was their relationship dynamic? There was obviously a mutual attraction between the two of them, their quick fling wouldn’t have gotten so far if there wasn’t, but was there anything more? David couldn’t help but smile as he thought of the cheery Britain, her large smile and bubbly personality were indescribably appealing to him, somehow just looking at her managed to put him at ease. He had his share of romances back in the States, but something about this felt different, feelings that had long since been buried away under a mask of sarcasm and bravado had begun to resurface. It had been a long time since he could just stare at something, enjoy the moment for what it was, not fretting about what it could or should be. Being with Lena almost made him feel like a kid again, full of life and vibrancy, an endlessly positive outlook of the world rather than the cynic he had become. He had once held the same positivity that Lena did, back when he was a fresh recruit, before he had met The Boss.  
David absent-mindedly rinsed the shampoo from his hair, gently massaging his scalp as he thought back to his time with the charismatic commander. He saw something in David when he first joined up, taking him under his wing and placing him into his personal unit, becoming a mentor for the unpolished recruit. In a way, he became a sort of father-figure for him, he was on good terms with his parents, but his father was too preoccupied with work during his childhood to spend much time with him, focused on providing the best life he could to his family. Boss was a rough man, scars lined his weathered face, an eyepatch covered his right eye, and his left arm had been lost in some sort of accident, replaced by a red prosthetic. His brown hair was pulled into a loose tail, while his voice was as rough as his appearance, but with a precision and weight to it that demanded attention. He sighed as he allowed the water to run over him, falling back into the memories of the past.

David grunted as he sparred with his squad mate, each taking turns deflecting the blows of their opponent, honing their CQC for the day when they would use it in actual combat. Time seemed to slow as he watched the movements of his partner, his eyes rapidly examining his stance to find an opening, before carefully blocking the attack with his right hand. His partner swung his own fist towards him, sloppily missing David as he ducked beneath it, using his left hand to swiftly strike his neck. The man was stunned for a moment, which David used to grab his collar, sweeping him off balance with his feet as he slammed him into the ground. He paused for a moment, offering his hand to his fallen comrade, smiling as he grabbed his hand. David noticed a shine in his partner’s free hand, thrusted at him as he pulled him to his feet, a large figure suddenly appeared between them, pushing David.  
“We don’t draw weapons on comrades.” Boss spoke, his pale blue eye piercing into the frightened visage of David’s partner. He struggled to free his knife from his grasp, his movements intensifying as Boss pulled the knife closer to his own chest. “Look around you, this is your family.” Boss spoke, stabbing the knife into his own chest, causing the nearby soldiers to shift their attention to him. David’s partner fell backwards to the ground, shakily breathing as he stared in shock at his commander, who slowly turned to face the rest of the trainees. “Look at the man to your left, and your right, those are your brothers. You all joined up to be a part of something greater than yourselves, to fill the void that Overwatch left, well listen closely.” David’s eyes panned across the trainees, each one giving their undivided attention to The Boss, the only sound was the gentle breeze that floated through the grounds. “Forget your nationality, your race, any affiliations you had before you joined. We have no nation, no philosophy, no ideology. We don’t need a reason to fight, we fight because we’re needed. We will be the deterrent for those who have none, we’re soldiers without borders, defined by the era we live in. Someday the world will no longer need us, no need for the gun, or the hand to pull the trigger. We’ll build a better future, at any cost.” Boss looked over his men once more, waving them away as he removed the knife from his chest, wiping it clean on his fatigues. He handed it to David’s partner, who grabbed it before bolting off into the distance, shaking all the way. He turned to David, lighting a cigar in his mouth as he walked past him, motioning for him to follow. David obliged, walking beside his commander as they made their way towards a helipad. “I don’t think I’ll see peace in my lifetime, which means there’s no time to waste. Your generation has a real chance at lasting peace, so long as you’re willing to fight for it, which is why you’re here. It doesn’t matter if you stay with us, so long as you carry on our mission, peace at any cost.” He took a long drag of his cigar, exhaling a large trail of smoke into the air as a helicopter landed on the vacant pad, the side door sliding open as the pair neared it. The Boss stepped inside the cabin, turning back to David who waited on the pad. “That’s what I… What we… will leave as our legacy.” He nodded as he pulled the door shut, David raised his arm in front of his eyes as the vehicle took off, fading away into the distance as he watched it depart.

“I haven’t forgotten what you told me.” David muttered to himself as he shut the shower off, drying off his body with the towel he had placed on the counter. He looked at himself in the mirror, smiling as he compared the scrawny boy he once was with the toned man he had grown into. He reached into the first aid kit, placing a fresh pad over his side before slipping into a black shirt, a skeletal astronaut bearing a flag covered the front. He slid on a fresh pair of boxers, hopping onto the counter as he unwrapped the gauze from his leg, tossing it into the bin. The wound had healed surprisingly well, only faint traces of the impact remained, and his leg could handle his weight once again. He winced as he wrapped fresh gauze around his leg, the area was still tender, at the very least. The worn pair of jeans slid over his legs with ease, the denim gently rubbing against his skin as he buttoned them. He sighed as he made his way back into the living room, shooting a glance over at the bed, only to find that Lena was no longer in it.  
“Over here, luv.” Lena yawned, rummaging through the refrigerator, withdrawing a carton of eggs. David laughed as he joined her in the kitchen, grabbing the carton from her hands.  
“Allow me.” He chuckled, placing the carton next to the pan Lena had laid on the stovetop.  
“A man after my own heart.” Lena laughed, making her way to the table, laying on her arms as she sat at the table, another small yawn escaped her lips.  
“So, how exactly are we getting to Japan?” David asked, cracking an egg against the rim of the pan, pouring its contents inside.  
“We’ll take my shuttle, I’m a pilot, after all!” Lena shouted, still using her arms as makeshift pillows, prompting a small smile from David.  
“That’s a long trip in such a small shuttle, might get a little cramped.”  
“Didn’t seem too worried about space last night.” Lena joked, causing him to chuckle as he poured another egg into the pan, its sizzling complimenting Lena’s joke.  
“How long are we staying?” David questioned, gently flipping the eggs with a spatula, inwardly cursing as some of the yolk broke free.  
“However long we’re needed, that work for you?”  
“Only if I get to spend it with you.” David winked at Lena, earning a giggle as he shut the stove off, placing the eggs onto two plates. He brought them over to the table, placing the unbroken egg before Lena, he’d eat the sloppy one himself. He glanced up at Lena as he sat down, briefly staring at her warm smile, before joining her for breakfast.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lemons because I'm a degenerate.

David slid open the door of the shuttle, hoisting himself inside the craft with a deep grunt. He tossed his bag onto the ground, examining the surprisingly large cargo hold, it was quite a bit roomier than the two seats up front. He plopped down on the floor, leaning forward onto his knees as they hung from the craft, awaiting Lena’s arrival. He gazed out at the sun, its radiant form slowly rising over the city, warming everything in its sight. David still couldn’t believe that he’d agreed to go across the world with someone he just met, though he knew Tracer quite well, it was hard to avoid all the publicity that agents of Overwatch got. He knew that he’d hate himself if he didn’t go, after all, how could he ignore a call for help, particularly when it’s from someone in his past. Leave the world in a better state than you found it, that was always the message he told himself, it helped give him a purpose when he lacked any true direction. His mind wandered, briefly wondering what his life would’ve been like had he just stayed with his family in America, if he hadn’t put so much pressure on himself. Though it wasn’t his fault, David’s father couldn’t spend time with him during his childhood, work always took priority over the family, providing for them so they could have the life he never did. Maybe that’s why he was so drawn to The Boss, he fulfilled the role of a father that was vacant for most of his life. He was a mentor to David, a friend in his darkest hours, though they weren’t bound together by blood, their bond was as close to family as they could get. David chuckled as he withdrew a cigarette, he had begun smoking shortly after he joined the charismatic soldier’s PMC, it had helped calm his nerves when things got out of hand, and it helped him emulate the man he aspired to be. His eyes focused on the end of the cigarette, igniting it with his lighter, before he flipped it shut, placing it back in his pocket. He closed his eyes and took a long drag, holding it in his lungs to savor the flavor, before slowly exhaling it into the sky.

“Those things’ll kill ya, you know.” David opened his eyes, greeted with the sight of Lena’s characteristic grin, her small form hopping past him into the shuttle.

“What won’t kill me?” He chuckled, taking another drag as he glanced behind him, watching Lena place her bag on the floor, bending over slightly as she did so. His eyes were locked on her toned legs, the tight orange pants leaving little to the imagination, a keen eye could spot hints of her musculature. David loudly coughed, hacking smoke into the air, he was too entranced by Lena to exhale the smoke.

“See what I mean?” Lena laughed, hopping into the pilot’s seat as the engine roared to life, gently shaking the cabin as they lifted off. David smiled as he slapped his hand against his chest, forcing any smoke left within out of his body, sighing as he glanced at the cigarette he held. He flicked the smoldering tube out of the cabin, watching its embers drift in the wind as it plummeted to the stone roof below them. “Beautiful sight, ain’t it?” Lena chimed, plopping down beside David, her legs dangling beside his.

“It is.” David responded, watching the hustle of London fade away beneath them, the shuttle slowly chugging away into the distance. His eyes snapped up, quickly glancing towards Lena, “Shouldn’t you be- “

“Don’t worry, luv, autopilot!” Lena laughed, her legs gently swaying as she smiled, her warm visage piercing into David’s heart. His eyes slowly panned over her, taking in her short brown hair, her deep hazel eyes, her button nose, her cute lips, even the faint freckles that lined her cheeks. He yearned for her, to have their bodies melt together in the passion that physical release provided. He didn’t know if what he felt was love, or merely a strong attraction to a woman who fit his preferences perfectly, but it didn’t matter, he was going to indulge in his desires, so long as she felt the same way. David slowly leaned his face closer towards hers, his green eyes filled with longing for what was interrupted the day before, for that same feeling she gave him when they embraced. His lips pressed against hers, the faint hint of cinnamon coated her lips, sparking his nerves as they connected. Lena let out a small gasp, muffled by David’s advance, before slowly returning the gesture. Their tongues danced with one another, exploring every facet of their mouths, probing deep inside before wrapping around in a delicate dance. They each let out small moans as they continued to embrace, only stopping when they finally managed to pull away, a thing strand of saliva bridging the gap between them. The sound of their heavy breathing was barely audible over the wind that poured in from the door.

“You said it’s on autopilot, right?” David whispered, hoisting his legs back inside the cabin. Lena nodded, doing the same as she made her way towards the cockpit, rotating the passenger chair to face the cargo hold.

“Gonna finish what you started?” Lena giggled, watching as David shut the bay door, filling the cabin with a deafening silence. They stared at each other for a moment, each one mentally undressing their counterpart, sizing them up for the acts to come. They reunited in a fierce motion, pulling themselves closer as their tongues resumed the delicate exploration that they had halted, their moans more impassioned as they wrapped their bodies around one another. Lena pushed David into the chair, using her knees to keep herself in place above him, gently nibbling his ear lobe as his hands explored her tight body, moaning as his hands slowly slid up her legs, before roughly grabbing a hold of her rear.

Her moans filled the cabin, nuzzling her face against his neck as she ran her right hand along his body, gently massaging his crotch, probing for the member that sat within it. David’s grip loosened as she rubbed her gloved hand against him, giggling as he winced, throwing his head back against the chair. “You like that, eh luv?” David weakly nodded, a smirk on his lips, his eyes filled with lust as Lena slowly stood from the chair, parting his legs as she lowered herself to the floor. David’s bulge had grown at her touch, it would be impossible to hide his arousal from anything more than a blind woman. She smirked as she looked up at him, sucking at the bulge through his jeans, giggling as his motions because more subdued.

Her large hazel eyes stared up at him, taking in the sight of a less than stoic David, his mouth hung open as his eyes were shut, soft moans escaping his lips. “Fuck me, you’re good.” He whispered, one eye opening as he watched Lena undo his belt, free his member from its prison. Lena stared at it for a moment, quickly grabbing it with one gloved hand, gently massaging the tip with her tongue. Her hand released it, gently fondling David’s testicles as she slid her mouth over his manhood, softly moaning as she took in more of the shaft. David’s hand roughly grabbed her hair, gently squeezing her brown locks as he moaned in ecstasy. The shuttle shook as some turbulence hit the craft, the resulting vibrations causing David to howl out. “Lena, I can’t hold it much longer.”

A small giggle escaped her mouth as she continued to slide up and down his member, gently rubbing her tongue against the exposed flesh, tightening her throats grip. David let out another howl, his shaft twitching wildly as he reached his climax, releasing his load into her mouth. Lena moaned as she threw her head back, giggling as she opened her mouth, revealing no trace of David’s discharge. He weakly smiled at her, his member still prepared for more, his heavy breathing causing a smile to form on Lena’s lips. “Now for the fun part.” She whispered, slipping her toned legs out of her pants, turning away from David as she slowly slid her boy-shorts to the floor, shaking her hips as she stepped out of them.

She returned to the chair, glancing down at David as she slowly lowered herself onto his manhood, letting out a moan as he penetrated her. She writhed in ecstasy as she took in more of the shaft, slowly sliding up and down as her muscles rubbed against him, her warmth wrapping around the erect member. “Hang on luv, I’m gonna try something.” She whispered, moaning as she continued to rise and fall, her pace rapidly accelerating. David groaned as her speed continued to increase, the accelerator on her chest began to hum loudly, a faint blue trail began to follow her movements.

“Fucking Christ.” David moaned as Lena continued to speed up, engulfing him in an almost burning sensation, every nerve in his body was firing off in pleasure. He glanced as Lena’s face as she continued her trick, she seemed to be enjoying this as much as he was, a new pose of ecstasy accompanied every fall as she threw her body back and forth, indulging in the pleasure. “I’m close.” He moaned, joining Lena’s thrusts with his own, shoving himself as far inside as he could. Lena began to yelp as their pace quickened, David groaned as he abandoned all though, thinking only of the pleasure he felt in this moment.

“Do it inside, luv.” Lena shouted between gasps, her muscles contracting more over his shaft, the sensation had become too much to bare. David groaned as his abdominal muscles contract, discharging everything he had into Lena’s heat, her yelps accompanying his own. She nuzzled her face against his neck, loudly moaning as their pace slowly stopped, her hazel eyes sleepily gazing into David’s own. She smiled, before disappearing in a flash of blue light, reappearing after a few moments. “All better.” She whispered, kissing David as they each relaxed in the seat, exhausted after their passionate ordeal.

“That’s one hell of a trick.” David groaned, slowly tightening his jeans as Lena stood up, retrieving her own clothes.

“I thought you’d like that.” She giggled, quickly slipping back into her bright pants, sighing as she lowered herself to the floor. “Whatddya we catch a little shut-eye? Plenty of time until we get there.” David smiled as he pushed himself from the chair, quickly dropping to the floor, propping his head against his bag. “We’ll have to do that again sometime, luv.” Lena giggled, wrapping an arm around David as she pulled herself close.

“Yeah,” David sighed as he closed his eyes, “We will.”


	8. Chapter 8

The bright lights of the towns below flew by in a blur as the shuttle soared across the sky, they had almost arrived at their destination, though the trip had consumed the entire day. David and Lena had eaten several snacks during the trip, not wanting to lose any time stopping somewhere, the various wrappers had been discarded in a pile on the floor. David sat on the edge of the floor, one leg dangling into the air, the other laid inside the shuttle, his back leaning against the metallic base of the co-pilot’s seat. His duffle bag sat next to him, the fabric gently shaking as the wind from outside pelted it. A pair of earbuds sat inside his ears, their cords merging as one before connecting to an old cassette player. The device gently hummed as the tape played, its slow rotations were almost hypnotizing, the steel case that surrounded it had several scuffs and cuts along its tattered surface. David’s eyes gazed at the horizon, watching the surroundings slowly fade away as they continued onwards, before glancing at the device he held in his right hand. He gently smiled as he examined it, sure the audio quality wasn’t the best, and it was almost impossible to find new tapes, but it was his. The soothing guitar rhythms were interrupted by a tap on his shoulder, his smiled faded as he glanced over at Lena, plucking one of the buds from his ear. “Whatcha listenin’ to?” Lena flopped down beside him, leaning against the base of the chair, mimicking his stance.

“A song from an old friend.” David chuckled, offering an earbud to Lena, “You want to hear it?” Lena’s eyes lit up as she eagerly took the earbud, gingerly placing it within her own ear, watching as David held down the rewind button. The device gently whirred, the tape within it spun backwards, stopping with a satisfying click as David pressed the play button. A brief silence began the tape, a small amount of static crackling within the earbuds before the guitar began to play, David’s posture visibly relaxed as his gaze returned to the scenery, listening intently to the melody. There were no words in the song, just the plucks of guitar strings with the faint sounds of a violin behind it, complimenting the almost melancholic tune. The song played for only a couple of minutes before slowing to a halt, David pressed the pause button, stopping the tape before the next song began. “So?” David glanced back towards Lena, his posture returning to its usual state, though his eyes seemed to still be listening to that same song.

“That was lovely, who played it?” Lena smiled, handing the earbud back to him.

“Miller, an old friend from back in my PMC days, he was sort of like a second in command. A bit of a hard-ass, but he could play the guitar like no one’s business.” David chuckled, his mind flashing through memories of his time with The Boss and his comrades on the battlefield.

“So, who led this little band of soldiers?” Lena giggled.

“The greatest man I’ve ever met, and the finest soldier I’ve ever seen.” David sighed as he leaned against the chair, his eyes filled with admiration. “We called him The Boss, though I never knew his real name, he was almost like a legend, something so impressive that most of us doubted he was human. He picked all of us by hand, calling us diamonds in the rough, and he did everything he could to make sure that we’d reach our full potential. This was all after Overwatch was disbanded, most of us were there because we wanted to fill the void that they left, none of us were hero material, save for The Boss.”

“Sounds like he left quite an impression on you.”

“He taught me everything I know, and he gave me a purpose to strive towards, as silly as it sounds. He always made a big deal about peace, and what we would have to do to ensure it.” David’s tone changed slightly, shifting from admiration to an almost solemn one.

“It sounds like a great group.”

“It was, but things changed, and I couldn’t bring myself to stay with them.” David sighed as his gaze shook slightly, focused on the distance. “As time went on the methods we used became more questionable, it began as a simple deterrence, but eventually talks began of creating weapons to force peace. I hope with every fiber of my being that The Boss realized what was happening and put a stop to it, stopping his Diamond Dogs from collapsing, but I don’t know for sure.” Lena’s eyes glanced down at the cassette player in David’s hand, his grip on it had tightened, causing it to shake slightly in his grasp.

“I’m cold.” Lena groaned, laying her head on his shoulder, attempting to get David’s mind off the past. David reached into his bag, withdrawing an olive canvas jacket, the fabric held several tears, along with a few holes along the sides. A patch was sewn on the right shoulder, sporting a dog’s head emblazoned over a diamond, with a gold banner hung below it. The name had been scratched out, though Lena could guess what it had once read, smiling as David draped it over her. “Thanks, luv.” She snuggled closer to him, catching the small smile that crossed his lips for an instant as he draped his right arm around her, pressing the play button on the device as his posture relaxed once more. The guitar tunes resumed, though noticeably different from the first song, Miller had only ever given him the one, the rest of the tape had been filled with various ambient songs, each one prominently featuring a guitar.

David jolted himself awake as he examined his surroundings, he hadn’t remembered falling asleep after his talk with Lena. His canvas jacket was draped over him, the door had been shut, likely to prevent him from falling out, though Lena was nowhere to be seen. He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, slipping his arms into the canvas sleeves of his jacket, before depositing his cassette player inside his duffle bag. His eyes glanced out the window, the shuttle had landed in an empty field, save for a single building that sat within it, the warming light from within illuminating the darkened surroundings, complimented by the gentle glow of the moon. David sighed as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder, sliding open the bay door as he stepped onto solid ground, shutting it behind him. He slid open the wooden door of the small home, greeted by the sight of Lena kneeling at a table along with two metallic forms. His eyes adjusted to the light, slowly making out Genji across the table, an Omnic monk sat next to him, that would have to be Zenyatta.

“We were wondering when you’d wake up!” Lena laughed, waving at him from her seat. David groaned as he dropped his bag on the ground, sleepily sitting down next to Lena.

“Welcome, my friend.” Zenyatta slowly spoke, his words seeming almost melodic, David noticed a slight nod from Genji, returning the gesture at his robotic comrade. David laid his face into his arms that rested on the table, debating whether he should go back to sleep or attempt to hold some sort of conversation.

“We will let you get some rest, I am sure the trip was exhausting.” Genji chuckled, slowly standing up as he made his way to a door on the far side of the room. “We’ve left a pair of beds here for you, Master Zenyatta and I will be in the other room.” Genji disappeared into the room, Zenyatta floating behind him, somehow managing to shut the door without touching it.

“Come on, luv.” Lena laughed, blinking over to their room, her bag was already inside. David groaned as he pushed himself from the table, dragging his own bag behind him into the room.

“Seriously?” David sighed, staring at the mattress that laid on the floor, though you could hardly call something that thin a proper mattress. Lena had already gotten in her bed, wrapping herself in the covers, her accelerator sat beside her, docked in some sort of recharging station. He let out a small chuckle as he slid the door shut, dropping his bag at the foot of his bed, before slipping out of his clothes. He remained in his shirt and briefs, hoping that the covers provided would be better than the mattress itself. David lowered himself onto it, inwardly cursing as he learned the mattress felt as thin as it looked. Lena giggled as he settled in for the night, enjoying his display of disappointment. “Please remind me to find a hotel tomorrow.” David groaned, pulling the covers tight around himself.

“Goodnight, luv.” Lena giggled, causing him to smile gently as he shut his eyes, letting sleep claim him once more.

A/N: Hey guys, this chapter is a little shorter than usual, I’ve been dealing with a bunch of stuff related to moving into my new apartment, plus my classes start up in a little under two weeks. Wanted to thank you guys for reading the story so far, I’m having a good time writing it. There’s some obvious references to Metal Gear Solid 5 in this story, I’m kind of bitter about how poorly that story played out, so hopefully what I write here will make sense for Big Boss, I want him to do some villainous things, which never happened in-game. There’s going to be more lemon material in the future, but I don’t know how frequently I’ll write it, I don’t want it to be the focus of the story. Eventually I’m sure I’ll write some shitty one-shots that are just complete smut, but that’s not what I want this story to be. I’ve got a whole lot of angst to write out, but I’ll try to prevent it from becoming overwhelming, the last thing I want to do is turn anyone off the story because of my own personal feelings. Thanks again for reading the story, I can’t thank you guys enough, I’m not sure how long I’m going to make the story, but I’ll probably keep writing it until I just don’t enjoy it anymore. I want to try and get as much of the main cast in the story as I can, but that will take some time since I don’t want to just jam them into the story without any care for pacing or logic. Hopefully you’re looking forward to the next chapter, I look forward to writing them.


	9. Chapter 9

David stood at the front of the crowd, a lone scientist sat on his knees before the gathering of soldiers, his prosthetic legs discarded to the side, and his hands bound behind his back. The man was Huey Emmerich, an expert in bipedal weapon systems, most notably during his development of the Peace Walker system, one of the most dangerous assets in play during the Omnic Crisis. David had heard rumors that Emmerich had developed another weapon, supposedly forced by The Boss’ nemesis, Cipher, though he had never seen this new system in person. The doctor’s eyes were cast down at the floor, his gaze refusing to meet that of his ‘comrades’. The Boss had discovered his defection, slowly extracting information through torture, hidden away from the eyes of his loyal soldiers. The room fell silent as Miller stepped forward, using a crutch to support himself, his left leg and right arm has been amputated during his time in Cipher’s hands, though he refused any prosthetic assistance. David shifted uncomfortably as he glanced over at The Boss, who stood in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, his lone blue eye piercing through Emmerich as he stared down at him, subtle hints of disgust tinging his face.

The trial began, though David didn’t hear much of what Miller said, the entirety of his attention was focused on The Boss. He caught occasional phrases from the furious commander, accusing Emmerich of assisting Cipher during their operations against Diamond Dogs, even going as far as to blame the death of Emmerich’s significant other, Dr. Strangelove, on Emmerich himself. The sound of heavy machinery broke David from his trance, the large metallic AI pod of Peace Walker was dragged forward, its dark frame hanging eerily before Emmerich. “It’s just a machine…” Emmerich began, letting out a sigh as the pod gently swung before him, flinching as the lights that lined it flashed brightly.

“Huey! Damnit Huey! Open it now!” Strangelove’s voice echoed from the machine, the faint sound of her fists impacting with the metal coffin she found herself within punctuating every word. “Please… Let me out… Kill me…” Her voice trailed off, fading away as the lights on the pod dimmed.

“It recorded it all. Everything… Everything you did living together.” Miller threw several photographs to the ground, each one ripped from the chassis of the Peace Walker pod, detailing the relationships between Emmerich and Strangelove.

“How could a machine…?” Emmerich began, his voice weak from the emotional strain.

“You forced your own son in the cockpit of a Metal Gear, a test subject. His mother had to hide him away, and for that, you locked her in that coffin.” Every word from Miller’s mouth was laced with vitriol, each syllable a knife that stabbed into Emmerich’s heart.

“No! She… She did it herself! It was suicide! And even if I did, what right do you have?” Emmerich desperately tried to defend himself, to explain away his actions, to weasel his way out of this situation as he had so many others.

“There’s more. We have you to tell us everything you’ve done – everything you’ve thought – all this time. Nine years ago, you agreed to the inspection in return for Cipher’s guarantee that you’d be spared.”

“I thought it was real!” Emmerich interrupted.

“We’ve reviewed into everything else that’s happened since you arrived here.” Miller continued, unfazed by the doctor’s desperation.

“Please…” Emmerich pleaded.

“Guilty! All counts.” Miller slammed his crutch against the metallic floor of Mother Base, the soldiers around David erupted into a cacophony of noise, each one shouting for Emmerich’s execution. A shot from a revolver halted the outburst, The Boss held the weapon in the air, before slipping it back into its holster. David watched as he made his way over to Miller, staring down at the traitor seated before him.

“We exist outside the law.” The Boss began, his rough voice demanding attention from all that could hear it. “Treason is something that can never be forgiven, never be forgotten. And though we kill, it is only as part of our duty, we never draw weapons on comrades. We lost a lot of good men because of you.” The Boss’ hand lowered back to the revolver, gently removing it from the holster, as he raised the weapon towards Emmerich. “Thank you for your service, Doctor Emmerich.” The Boss spat, firing the revolver into Huey’s forehead. Blood spurted from the exit wound, painting the dark metallic walls of the room with crimson fluid. Cheers filled the room as Emmerich’s limp body flopped to the ground, settling on top of his discarded prosthetics. “Show’s over, get out of here.” The Boss coldly spoke, somehow managing to be heard by the entire room without even shouting. David sighed as he made his way out of the room, flinching at the knot he felt within his stomach. “Wait.” The Boss spoke, somehow David knew the words were directed at him, causing him to stop and turn towards his commander. The man’s larger frame stood before him, though he was easily the best soldier David had ever seen, he could emit an almost patriarchal aura around him, easing the tensions of speaking with a living legend. “You okay?”

David emitted a small sigh as he looked past The Boss, his eyes briefly examining the corpse of Emmerich that had been left in the corner, a small trickle of blood still flowing from his head. “It just feels… weird. Having to see someone who’d been with you for so long just executed like that. Makes you think…” David’s voice trailed off, he always felt comfortable expressing his doubts to The Boss, though he had never seen him kill someone in almost cold blood.

“David, look at me.” The Boss placed his hands on his shoulders, staring at him with his pale blue eye, creating a focal point for David’s gaze to meet. “He was not one of us. He actively worked against us, trying to sabotage our every move, even selling us out nine years ago to save himself. He was a traitor, and he deserved what he got.” David felt his blood run cold, he knew that The Boss was certainly capable of killing most people, but he was unaware of the killer instinct he held within him, was this truly the same man he idolized? “Get some rest, we have a lot to do.” The Boss spoke, releasing David as he nodded at him, turning back to speak with Miller about Emmerich. David sighed as he stepped through the door, looking back at the three figures before it quickly shut behind him.

David awoke in a cold sweat, his breath ragged, the dim light of the moon gently illuminating the corner of the room. He glanced over at Lena, her blanket was in complete disarray as she quietly snored, her accelerator sat close-by, emitting a soft hum as it sat on the docking station. “Fuck.” David sighed, plucking his jacket from the floor as he made his way out of the room, stealthily shutting the door behind him as to not wake Lena.

“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” David’s flinched as the metallic voice of Genji pierced the air, the cyborg sat on the edge of the building, watching the moon slowly move across the horizon. “Nightmares?” He questioned as David sat down beside him, withdrawing a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. David nodded as he lit the cigarette, taking a long drag as he stared at the moon, offering the substance to his companion. Genji chuckled, shaking his head as he declined the offer. “I know the weight of those dreams all too well.”

“They ever get any better? Ever fade away?” David questioned, prompting a small pause from Genji.

“They do not.” Genji sighed, causing David to take another drag of the cigarette, focused on escaping the memories of his past. “You will eventually come to peace with them, and their hold over you will weaken, but you will always carry them with you.”

“That something Zenyatta told you?” David cracked a half-smile as he turned his gaze from the moon to his companion.

“It is. Therefore, we must protect Master Zenyatta, it would be a terrible loss if he could no longer mentor his students.” Genji laughed, earning a small chuckle from David.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Genji.” The pair laughed, the gentle trail of smoke from David’s cigarette dissipating in the air above them, swaying slightly in the breeze. “Any leads to go on?”

“Nothing more than what I told you earlier. It is likely the same assailant who attacked Mondatta, or at the very least, they utilize the same tactics. We must be on our guard if we wish to stop this assassin.”

David laughed, taking a long drag of his cigarette before he dropped it to the ground, extinguishing it under his foot. “Well, work like that can wait for tomorrow.” He sighed, plucking it off the ground, intent on discarding it in the waste bin inside. “Goodnight, Genji.”

“Oyasuminasai.” The cyborg replied, David didn’t speak any Japanese, though he hoped Genji had replied favorably. He sighed as he stepped back inside the building, intent on gleaming a few more hours of sleep before they began their work tomorrow, sliding the door shut behind him as he walked into the darkness of the bedroom.

A/N: Hey guys, I’m terribly sorry about how long it’s taken for me to write up a chapter, it been literally three weeks since the last one was updated, pushing four weeks. It’s been rather hectic getting set up at my new apartment, along with getting involved in an Overwatch Discord, getting set back up in college, and driving back to my parent’s house constantly to grab stuff that I forgot. I also set up a Tumblr under this same name, I tend to do more updates over there than you’d otherwise get, though my Twitter is also a good source of updates on my work. I got a Blue Yeti microphone, so I’ll occasionally update some audio stuff to SoundCloud and post it on my Tumblr and Twitter, just feels good to talk about Overwatch and other games from time to time. I wanted to thank all of you guys for reading the story so far, nothing makes me happier than seeing comments asking for another chapter, you guys really are the best. If you’ve played Metal Gear Solid 5 then this chapter is going to seem familiar, I just wanted to make Big Boss’ transition into a villain a little clearer than what was presented in The Phantom Pain. Releasing Emmerich made sense in game, since Venom Snake is different than Big Boss, but for the sake of this story Big Boss is exactly who you’d expect. I felt as though executing Emmerich would make sense for him as a character, particularly if you look at how much Miller wants revenge against Cipher. I don’t want to make flashbacks a super frequent thing, but I want to be sure that Big Boss doesn’t feel like a side character since his interactions with David shape his decisions throughout the story. Thanks again to everyone for reading, and I’m so sorry that I made you guys wait this long for another update!  
\- Alerestus


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